


Four Points of Light

by blakefancier



Series: Young Lovers [33]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-04
Updated: 2013-06-04
Packaged: 2017-12-14 00:16:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/830497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakefancier/pseuds/blakefancier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What are the other characters of the Young Lovers 'verse doing while Howard and Steve are doing their thing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sarah's Story

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to play around with other characters for awhile, see what they were up to in the Young Lovers 'verse. Here's what I wrote.

There was a note from Steve on the table. Sarah read it and fought the urge to rip it to shreds. Instead, she crumpled it into a ball and tossed it into the garbage. She rubbed her gritty eyes and slumped against the counter. God, she was tired and she still had a double-shift to look forward to and a paycheck that barely covered the bills—she tried not to think about how small Steve's clothes looked on him or how worn his shoes were. She tried not to think about how easy it would be to let Howard take care of those things.

Sarah made a pot of coffee, then sat at the table, listening to the tick of the wall clock and the hiss of the coffeemaker. She wondered if this was what it would be like when Steve left for college.

She sighed and rubbed her mouth. Maybe she should go back to bed. She was just about to stand, when Bucky stumbled into the kitchen looking like five miles of bad road. Sarah clucked her tongue and got to her feet. "Sit down," she said. She poured him a glass of water and gave him a couple of aspirin. "Good night?"

"Pretty good," Bucky said and stole her cup of coffee. "Where's Steve?"

Sarah tensed, her mouth pressed into a thin line. She poured herself another cup of coffee; her hands shook.

"Oh." Bucky stared into his cup.

"He'll be home by two." Sarah walked over and pressed a kiss to his hair. "I'll make you some breakfast." Joseph once told her that when it came to hangover food, the greasier the better, so she made bacon and fried eggs. They ate in silence; Bucky took his food seriously and what she had to say could wait. When the meal was over and the dishes were in the sink, Sarah said, in her most neutral voice, "Your mom called yesterday."

His face went blank and he clutched the coffee cup in his hands. She didn’t think he was going to respond to her, he usually didn't. Then he cleared his throat and asked, "How is she?"

"Sober. Clean." The rest was unimportant, she knew, at least to him. "You should call her."

Bucky shook his head so she let it go. A moment later, he cleared his throat. "Steve spends a lot of time at Stark's."

"Yes," she said, clipped and angry. She made herself stop and take a deep breath; that wasn't Bucky's fault. "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Okay." He gave her a quick smile. "What do you want to talk about then?"

Sarah took his hand in hers and looked him in the eyes. "How are you? How are you, really?" She could see he was going to make a flip comment; she squeezed his hand. "Bucky."

He smiled and squeezed back. "Sarah, I'm fine."

"Really?" Sarah wanted to believe him, she did, but she remembered the haunted look in Joseph's eyes, the nightmares, the anger.

"Really." Bucky shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not saying that it's a piece of cake, that don't see horrible things, that I don't—But the Army's given me a purpose. It's… I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I'm where I'm supposed to be."

"I think that Steve and I would both argue about that." She reached over and gently stroked the hair back from his face; he was a man now. She didn't know when that happened. It made her proud and a little sad. "We both miss you."

"I miss you both too. I feel like… I feel a little out of touch, actually." Bucky looked a little uncertain. "Steve's different."

"Good different or bad different?" She certainly couldn’t tell. 

"I don't know. He's still Steve. I just… I guess I never expected him to grow up. I sure in the hell didn't expect him to find a sugar daddy."

"Language," Sarah said, gently rapping his knuckles.

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted her and she laughed.

"I'm so glad you're home, if only for a little while." She took a deep, shuddery breath. 

Bucky must have seen something in her face, because he pulled her into a hug. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Sarah, it's all right." 

She buried her face against his shoulder. "I feel like I'm losing him, Bucky. We used to be so close, he used to tell me everything. I know that it's only natural for him to pull away. I know it is. But I hardly see him anymore. And when I do, he acts like a stranger. I miss my son, and I don't know how to get him back. I don't know how to wrestle him away from Howard Stark."

"I could try punching Stark in the face a couple more times, if you want," Bucky said

Sarah laughed and wiped her eyes. "Why don't you hold him down while I punch him?"

"Sarah!" Bucky gave her a surprised look. "Who knew you had such violent tendencies?"

"You wouldn’t ask that question if you knew me back when I was sixteen. I was always getting into fights." She pulled from him and sniffled.

"I'll talk to him, Try to convince him that… that he should spend more time at home."

"Talk to him about school, too." She didn’t know if it would help, but it was worth a shot. "He used to hang out with his friends, he used to go to movies and the mall, he used to be the Gay-Straight Alliance at school. Now everything he does is wrapped up in the Starks. That's not healthy."

"I'll do what I can." Bucky frowned slightly. "But I don't know how much that'll matter. I haven't really kept in touch."

"Because you couldn't, not because you didn’t want to. Steve understands that, Bucky. And so do I. You still matter to him. You matter to him a great deal. I know that whatever you tell him will have an impact." She gave him a reassuring smile. "Now come on and help me wash the dishes."

"Yes, ma'am. I'd be happy to." He grinned at her, his eyes sparkling with mischief, and it felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders, at least for a while.


	2. Faith's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faith and Isaiah spend the day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been using "Faith Bradley" as an identifier for Faith, then I decided to see if I could find her maiden name online. And lo and behold, there it was. Easily found. So from now on, I'm using her maiden name. Until and unless Faith and Isaiah get married in the series.

Faith gave herself a quick look in the mirror to check her lipstick, adjusted her skirt, then gave a start when her cell phone buzzed. She cursed softly under her breath and grabbed her backpack. She rushed out of the room and down the stairs. "Mom, Isaiah and I are going to the library to study. I'll be home by curfew!"

"Text me when you and Isaiah leave the library," her mom shouted from the den.

Faith rolled her eyes, but only said, "Yes, ma'am." Isaiah was waiting for her out front. She threw her bag in the backseat and climbed into the car. "Go, now, before Mom decides she wants to interrogate you."

Isaiah pulled out. "Your mom's not that bad."

"Do you really want to explain to her, again, that you were joking about joining the Army after high school instead of going to college?"

"No." Isaiah hunched his shoulders and frowned. 

She gave out a soft huff and pressed a kiss to the side of his face. "So where are we going?"

"I thought we could pick a direction and just drive. Maybe stop when we find someplace we like." He glanced over at her and smiled. 

Faith reached over and laid a hand on his thigh. "That sounds romantic. Too romantic for you to have thought it up yourself." 

Isaiah blushed and cleared his throat. "I may have read the idea someplace." 

"A women's magazine?"

"Maybe," he said, his voice deepening slightly.

She laughed then and squeezed his thigh. "So pick a direction and go." 

***** 

It was too hot, even under the tree where there was shade, but Faith found she didn't mind. The park was nice and they were in a secluded area. It felt like they were the only two people around. She sprawled out on the quilt Isaiah kept in the trunk and stared up at the branches of the trees, smiling to herself. Isaiah curved his hand around her calf and kissed her knee. It was oddly thrilling and she blushed.

"You look beautiful," he said, sliding his hand up to rest behind her knee.

"I'm all sweaty."

"I know." He moved his hand up her thigh and she really wanted to let him. She really, *really* did, but…

She grabbed his wrist. "Someone might see us. And I'm not ready yet." It had really scared her when she thought she might be pregnant. The kind of scared that gave her nightmares.

Isaiah moved his hand back to her calf and nodded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Faith sighed. "We just have to be more careful. We have a plan."

"A good plan." He kissed her gently on the mouth. "A flexible plan."

"Flexible?" She frowned at him; he settled on to his back. "What do you mean?"

"When we go to college next year, I want to sign up for ROTC." Isaiah didn't look at her.

For a moment, she couldn’t speak. She sat up and stared down at him. "I thought you wanted to be an architect?"

"I did. I *do*." He rubbed his face. "I know that Mr. Stark said we shouldn't talk to the SHIELD agents, but it's easier said than done. And they're not bad people, Faith. They do a lot of good work." 

"Joining up with the Army isn't like playing paintball on the weekends. And being a part of SHIELD isn't gong to make you James Bond! We have a plan, Isaiah. Why do you want to mess that up?"

"I don't." He sat up, too, and took her hand. "I'm stronger and faster and… and I've got more endurance than most men. What good is that if I'm not doing something with it? Doctor Erskine told me that I should grow up to be a good man."

"You don't have to join the military to be a good man!" She clutched his hand, her heart racing.

Isaiah cupped her face, stroked his thumb along her bottom lip. "I just want to keep my options open. Who knows? Maybe I won't like ROTC."

She closed her eyes and swallowed down the lump in her throat.

"Tell me not to, Faith," he whispered. "Say the words and won't do it. I won't sign up."

Faith wanted to, she really did. She wanted to be selfish, she wanted to do everything in her power to keep him safe, even if it meant denying him this. "Sometimes you really piss me off, Isaiah Bradley." She opened her eyes. "You know that, don't you?"

"I love you." He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth. 

"You better." Faith sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "Your parents aren't going to be happy. And neither will mine."

"It'll be our lives, not theirs. We'll make it work, Faith. I promise we will."

She nodded even though she wasn't sure, not at all. "We'll have to make adjustments to our plan." She put her hands on his shoulders. "You are a good man, you know. Even if you don't join the Army or SHIELD, even if you decide you just want to be an architect and a husband."

"Don't forget 'dad'."

"And dad." She wondered if their babies would be like him, physically perfect or a meta-human. She wondered if their babies would wind up being like her.

"I love you, too, you know."

"I know." Isaiah grinned at her. "You wouldn't be with me if you didn't."

"Damn right. After everything you put me through, especially when we were in elementary school—"

Isaiah rolled his eyes. "Oh, here we go!" 

"You put bubblegum in my hair! My mom had to cut it!" She shoved him down on the blanket and glared; he laughed at her. "And that's only to start." 

"I loved you from the moment I saw you," he said. "With your braids and your skinned knees." 

"You're ridiculous." She got to her feet and smoothed down her skirt. "You're ridiculous and I'm hungry. Let's stop off for pizza on our way home."

"Yes, ma'am." He saluted her, then rolled to his feet. "I want mushrooms and sausage."

"You always do." Faith took his hand and smiled.


	3. Peggy's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peggy verbally spars with Nick. They both have a great time.

It took Peggy a few hours to sneak into Nick's office and settle into his chair. She knew she wouldn't have to wait long. Once those agents regained consciousness, the alarm would sound, and Nick would go straight to his office. She leaned back in the chair, propped her feet up on the desk and watched the clock. 

Fourteen point three minutes later—had she hit them *that* hard?—the alarm rang and Nick stormed in. He tensed when he saw her, and his hand twitched as if he were reaching for a weapon. 

She smiled, pointed a finger at him, and said, "Bang, bang. I could have killed you."

"You're not an assassin." He took his communicator out of his pocket and growled a few words. The alarm stopped and he glared.

"I could be an assassin."

"Get out of my chair, Carter." He towered over her, as if to intimidate her.

Peggy took her time getting up. Then she leaned in and kissed his cheek. "It's nice to see you, too, Nick. It took almost fifteen minutes for them to notice I had breached security. That never would have happened under my watch." 

"You want your old job back? It's yours." He settled back in his chair. "Private security has to be as boring as hell." 

"I dislike SHIELD's policies on collateral damage. But you know that already. " Peggy sat down on a chair and crossed her legs. "Tell me about AIM." 

Nick shrugged, then steepled his hands. "Advanced Idea Mechanics? It's a think tank." 

"They've descended upon the Expo. I can't turn around without walking into one of their employees." She watched him carefully and fought the urge to smile when he clenched his jaw.

"That doesn't seem so strange." 

"No, no, it doesn't." She hummed softly. "They do seem rather interested in Tony. Did you know they tried to recruit Howard after he left SHIELD?"

Nick looked thoughtful. "I do recall him mentioning that, right before he stole you out from under me." 

"What are they? What are they really?" Peggy gave him a bright, innocent smile. "Why are they so interested in the Starks?"

"You got me." 

He was lying, obviously lying, and she wondered what sort of game he was playing. "I want your files on them." 

"What files?" He frowned and leaned forward, hands braced on the desk. 

"He's your friend," she said.

Nick narrowed his eye. "Friend my ass. Why is it that the two of you only remember that we're friends when it suits you?"

"Oh, don't pretend that doesn't go both ways. Or should I remind you about Prague?" Nick tensed slightly and she gave a nod of satisfaction. "You owe me."

"But not him." Oh, he was stubborn; she hated that. 

Peggy crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. She knew that he knew that she could outwait him. She had before. It didn't take him long to break.

"There's nothing to tell. They're aboveboard." He clenched his jaw again.

"Except they're not." 

Nick sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Except they're not. Whatever they're planning, it's… Well, we don't know what it is."

"And the Council doesn't see it as a priority, do they?" She really, really hated them. They were the reason why she left. 

"They don't. But I have a few irons in the fire," he said, and smiled smugly.

"Keep me informed of the situation." 

He raised an eyebrow. "You don't work for me anymore." 

"I never worked for you," she said. "Keep me informed and I promise I'll do the same." 

"You could come work for me again. As a free agent." 

She could tell he was serious; she shook her head. "I like my job." He snorted and she continued, "I like that that at the end of the day, I don't have to bury the bodies, literally or metaphorically. Besides, Howard has a better dental plan."

Nick laughed and shook his head. "You want a drink?" 

She grinned. "When have I ever turned down a drink?"

He opened a drawer in his desk and took out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He poured a generous amount of alcohol in each glass, then handed her one. "To your health." 

"And yours." She took a drink, then coughed. "He has better alcohol, too." 

"Everyone's a critic." 

"Speaking of critics…" She finished her drink and set the glass on the deck. "Pour me another and I'll tell you where the holes in your security are." 

"Cheapest offer I ever had," he said.

"What about Prague?"

"Second cheapest."


	4. Rhodey's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's honey bear comes to visit. Jim pretends not to find the nicknames amusing.

Jim knew it was coming the moment their eyes met across Penn Station. He dropped his duffle bag and braced himself so that when Tony took a flying leap towards him, he caught the crazy bastard.

"Honey bear!" Tony wrapped his legs around Jim and held on tight. 

"Tony," he said, staggering back a few steps, "you're heavy. "

"I'm not heavy, I'm your brother." Tony beamed down at him. "From another mother." 

"I will drop you."

Tony sighed, like he was the one put out, and dropped to his feet, then he hugged him again. "I missed you, sweetcheeks." 

"I swear to God, Tony, if I have to tell my parents one more time that I'm not gay and not your boyfriend, I will kill you." That said, he hugged Tony right back. 

"You're just mad because they were disappointed when you told them. They think I'm a delight." 

Jim rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. It helps that you're filthy rich." 

"They know I'd keep you in the style that you deserve." Tony let him go and took a step back. "I have a car waiting."

"A car? I—" 

"We're going to the Expo," Tony said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. "You wanna go right? And what better time than this one?"

Jim blinked rapidly. "Yeah, I… I guess." He frowned. "Does your dad know I'm coming?"

"Yeah, yeah, he knows. He just… his boyfriend is over and… It's awkward. I'd rather wait until they're both gone." 

"Sure, okay." He grabbed his duffle bag and gave Tony a confused look. "Don't like your dad's boyfriend?"

"No, no, he's great. They're still in the honeymoon phase though and I thought I'd save you from the dubious pleasure of catching them suck face." Tony turned on his heel and headed for the exit; Jim rushed to catch up.

"I didn't even know your dad was dating," he said, when they were finally in the car and the driver was pulling into traffic.

"They're keeping it quiet." Tony flapped his hands. "But enough about them. How are you, Sugar Pop? The Air Force treating you all right? Because if they're not—"

Jim grinned and gave Tony a gentle shove. "It's the Air Force, Tony. It’s not finishing school." It was no worse than what he expected, for the most part. He'd had several conversations with his CO about Tony and it was made perfectly clear that he should continue to foster their friendship. He would, of course, but not because they wanted him to. 

"I'm just saying that Howard has a lot of pull. He could make sure you're taken care of." Tony grinned at Jim, as if he was joking, but Jim knew he was serious. 

"Thanks, but no thanks. I wouldn't want to make everyone else jealous of me," he said. "So are you showcasing anything at the Expo?"

"Naw, Howard's real big on not giving me preferential treatment." Tony rolled his eyes and sprawled back on the seat, taking up as much space as he could. "Not that I'd want to show off any of my cool stuff at the Expo. I don't have anything to prove." 

"No, of course not." 

Tony propped his feet on Jim's lap and grinned. "You know me, Cookie Crisp."

"You're making me hungry."

"I'll buy you a churro."

***** 

He made Tony buy him two churros, a corn dog, and a Coke.

"You're a cheap date," Tony said, stealing the last of Jim's churro and popping it into his mouth; Jim gave him a dirty look. 

"Oh, I expect an expensive dinner tonight—dessert is not optional." Jim finished his soda and tossed the cup into a trashcan. "So I read an article in Forbes that your dad is funding the whole thing out of pocket."

"We've got some sponsors." Tony gestured to the large Nike swoosh painted on the side of a building. "But he is, for the most part. He says he's trying to cement his legacy."

Jim shook his head. "Sometimes I forget how rich you are." 

Tony tsked and rolled is eyes. "You wanna head over to the Military Pavilion, check out the cool new weapons?"

"Actually, I'm more interested in the Aviation Pavilion. I hear there are a couple of small companies that are showing some promise."

"Really?" Tony wrinkled his nose, then sighed. "Do you know how many hours I've spent in that pavilion because of Howard?"

"Um, I'm in the Air Force, Tony." He slung his arm around Tony's shoulders. "Also, I've got a degree in aviation engineering. What did you expect?"

Tony grumbled, a lot, but Jim was used to tuning him out. 

***** 

Jim had been Tony's friend for two years, and in that time he learned to ignore the paparazzi and the fans that seemed to orbit around him. It was a price that Jim paid. Gladly. But this was different and he couldn't articulate why exactly.

All he knew was that the space between his shoulder blades itched and his skin crawled. Someone, maybe a whole lot of someones, were following them, and these people weren't taking pictures or hoping that Tony would take them home.

"What's up with you?" Tony asked. "You've been twitchy for the past half-hour." 

"We're being followed."

Tony laughed softly. "I'm always being followed. I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"I am," he said, wrapping his hand around Tony's wrist. "Where's the security office." 

"Oh, come on!" 

Jim squeezed Tony's wrist and stared at him, face grim. 

Tony's eyes widened, and Jim could see a flash of fear cross his face. "It's at the Main Pavilion."

"Then let's go." He maneuvered Tony towards the exit. "Why don't you give Ms. Carter a call, too?"

"She'll tell my dad," Tony said.

"You do it, or I will." 

Tony clenched his jaw, but pulled the phone from his pocket.

***** 

Jim could tell that she was frustrated; he was frustrated, too. "I’m sorry, ma'am. I wish I could tell you more, but honestly it was more of a feeling than anything concrete." 

Ms. Carter let out a soft huff of air and leaned back in her seat. "Don't apologize, Jim. I'm glad you've enough sense to trust your instincts. I don't know how many times I've had to pull Howard or Tony out of harm's way because they didn't."

"Honestly, Ms. Carter, I'm not sure Tony has any sense when it comes to self-preservation." He grinned at her and she grinned back. 

"It's a Stark family trait." She looked across the room and Jim followed her gaze. Tony was on his cellphone, talking animatedly to his father. "I'll put a few of my men on his tail. They'll be discreet."

"That's probably a good idea, ma'am." And he'd do his best to talk Tony out of ditching them. 

"I trust you'll do your best to keep him out of trouble?" Her tone was light, but Jim could hear the warning in her voice.

"Always," he said.

"Good." Ms. Carter shook his hand, slipping her card into his palm. "Let me know if you get any more bad feelings." She got to her feel and stretched. "I'll take you boys home."

Tony wouldn't like that, but Jim knew an order when he heard one. "Yes, ma'am."


End file.
